"HELLO walls," Willie Nelson sang. "How'd things go for you today?"
If the walls could reply, it's quite likely they would steer the conversation away from heartbreak and loneliness and toward paint and wallpaper.
For the last 14 years, Doug Misener has been helping customers figure out just what to slap on their walls from behind the counter at Howard's Paint and Wallpaper on Marine Drive in West Vancouver.
As the shop's owner-operator, Misener has seen the industry change as oil-based paint has fallen out of favour for more environmentally friendly latex-based hues, and wallpaper designs have become increasingly bold.
"The more current wallpaper is a lot more bigger print. It's more of an art statement now," he says. "It's not your grandma's flowers anymore." When it comes to choosing a colour for a room, the most crucial stage happens before the paint is purchased, says Misener.
"We strongly recommend trying a sample first like a little tester pot, or we have a colour consultant who comes out to houses and helps people pick colours as well," he adds.
Having received a degree in fine arts from Emily Carr University, colour consultant Korey Moran attempts to find a harmony between the structure of the site, the items that may be displayed and the homeowner's personal preferences to suggest a palette that can tie it all together.
"She'll look at the space, the lighting, what's on the floor as far as carpet or hardwood and just basically work with your space," explains Misener, adding that Moran also picks wallpaper. "Probably the best thing is to have our colour consultant either try to help them here in the store or to actually come out to the house and give advice that way."
The most common mistake is picking the wrong colour or not testing a colour beforehand, according to Misener.
"If they're coming just to the store it's good if they can bring as many pictures and samples of stuff they have in their house like tile samples or flooring samples or textiles," he advises. With wallpaper, the decision is as personal as the volume on a stereo. Some people prefer a whisper others want to risk the safety of their eardrums.
The store provides a list of painters and wallpaper hangers who work on the North Shore, although Misener says it's more crucial to hire professionals when it comes to wallpaper.
"You should have a professional installer do it if it's high-end material because it's very easy to mess up the material," he says, adding as long as you do the right prep-work, you can do the painting yourself.
When painting over a damaged wall, many professionals advise applying spackle at least 24 hours before painting. A primer can also be helpful. Wallpaper may be prone to peeling if there's moisture in the area, such as in a kitchen or bathroom. Misener says he has found few restrictions when deciding which rooms need paint and which would be better served with wallpaper.
"Usually people are doing wallpaper to be a bit more of a focal point than paint," he says. "Basically you can put either one anywhere."
